The issue of whitewashing has long plagued the portrayal of superheroes. Traditionally, movies have only featured white superheroes, and nonwhite actors have been relegated to supporting roles. However, that changed with Black Panther. As the first superhero movie to feature a black protagonist—as well as an all-black cast and a black director—Black Panther made a revolutionary turn by breaking the unfortunate Hollywood myth that movies with black protagonists don’t sell.
As the brainchild of director Ryan Coogler, Black Panther was celebrated by fans even before its release. His appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Captain America: Civil War only increased the excitement behind the movie, with the first trailer leaving people anxious for the movie’s debut. The release of the soundtrack a week before the movie was only a catalyst for the record pre-release ticket sales of the film itself. Prominent figures in the film industry, including Disney’s chief executive, Robert A. Iger, had their eyes on the potential success of the movie. Seeing Black Panther’s promise, Iger persuaded Disney to increase the film’s budget to 200 million dollars.
In my opinion, the film achieved all of its goals and more. It made up to 192 million dollars on its opening weekend, landing just behind movies like The Avengers and Jurassic World. The movie received good first impressions and was classified by some to be the best MCU film to date.
The film’s story is not overly complex, but varies enough from other MCU movies that it does not come across as boring or recycled. After losing his father T’Chaka in an explosion during a speech at the UN in the movie Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa is crowned the new king of Wakanda, a country that is far more advanced than any other nation on Earth.
It is the civic aspect of the movie that is so intriguing. Throughout the movie, viewers learn about the culture and traditions of Wakanda, which invites them to question modern day politics as well. The film poses questions about countries giving out aid, receiving refugees, and sharing the resources they have with the world. This political aspect resonates with the viewer most, as contemporary concepts such as globalization force nearly every nation to be an active member on the global stage.
The antagonist of the movie, Erik Killmonger, helps bring forth this argument of active or passive participation on the global stage due to his background. It’s his history and his actions that are the result of the marginalization of minorities dating back to slavery, as mentioned by Killmonger himself in the movie. By the end of the film, the viewer sympathizes with him, even though he is the antagonist. His character is also central to an impactful plot twist in the movie.
Beyond the story alone, the film’s cinematography deserves a high level of praise. Coogler did an incredible job with the camerawork and the smaller details, such as color management and pacing. The movie has a steady pace and never bores the viewer, even though the action scenes are broken up by the potentially less exciting aspects of being a world leader, such as diplomacy and negotiations with other powerful Wakandans. The camerawork is phenomenal as well, with the camera smoothly moving between characters during long takes, following the action in a way that is not nauseating, and helps to create a fully immersive movie experience. The citizens of Wakanda are colorful, ranging from bright greens to blues with the robes they wear, and their accessories ranging from bones and gold bracelets, whereas the Dora Milaje (the king’s bodyguards) are depicted in a noticeable and passionate red, with T’Challa himself wearing his black suit, featuring purple linings. Every aspect feeds into the others, and it is this vibrancy that sets Black Panther apart from other MCU films.
One other vital aspect of the film is the soundtrack, which features famous names such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA, The Weeknd, and Vince Staples. Besides the memorable hip-hop/rap tracks, Black Panther utilizes songs inspired by indigenous music, most of which comes from Central Africa. The sounds combine tribal drum beats with digital drumlines and were created by Ludwig Göransson with the help of Baaba Maal, a Grammy-nominated Senegalese artist, to depict the peaceful nature of Wakanda. The contrast between the upbeat rap songs and more slow-paced indigenous-inspired tunes provides an interesting musical shift for the viewer as the film moves between scenes.
If there is one criticism that I have of Black Panther, it is the quality of CGI and the restraints that time put on the plot. During some action scenes, especially during the final act of the movie, the CGI becomes too noticeable, to the extent where Black Panther himself looks like a plastic figure who is bouncing around. It is these scenes that interrupt the immersion created during the beginning of the film. My second criticism has to do with the length. The movie is a solid 2 hours and 15 minutes long, but it still left the viewer with questions. Characters such as M’Baku are developed well, but others are underdeveloped. Even though Killmonger himself is a very effective antagonist, I feel like he could have been introduced much earlier in the movie and could have been swapped in some scenes that feature Klaw, the movie’s secondary antagonist. I would argue that the movie is able to stand on its own, outside of its place in the MCU. However, it still does have references to other films (especially in the post-credits scenes).
In the end, Black Panther is a must-see, not only for fans of the MCU, but for film fans in general. The movie is not only a milestone for Hollywood, but offers a much-needed portrayal in which blackness is not degraded or depicted through stereotypes or secondary roles. Black Panther is a MCU movie with an important political message that has more depth than simply “be good” and “do not hurt innocent people.” It asks the world to come together, work as a singular entity, and solve problems that have been present for centuries.
Is President Beggaron still blowing on that tubaron?